Pentagon to broadcast execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan live in December

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced Thursday that the execution of Army officer Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood military base, will be broadcast live. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the execution will be carried out by firing squad at the base on December 3.

In an interview with Real America Voice News, Hegseth said the execution would be public, emphasizing that the public will be able to watch. When asked if Hasan had made any final requests or contacted President Donald Trump's administration, Hegseth replied: "I don't care. We'll see him on December 3."

Hegseth noted that the US military has not executed any of its personnel by firing squad since World War II. The Associated Press reported that the last execution in the US military took place on April 13, 1961, when Private John Bennett was hanged.

Hegseth made his remarks during an interview aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, while visiting its crew who had supported operations against Iran before returning to their home port in San Diego.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Barnell previously announced that President Trump had approved Hasan's execution. The White House referred questions regarding the live broadcast plans to the Department of Defense.

Trial details and appeals process

Hasan, a psychiatrist and US Army officer, opened fire inside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009 as troops prepared for deployment to Afghanistan. The attack killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.

Hasan represented himself during his 2013 trial, where a military jury convicted him and sentenced him to death. The verdict triggered an automatic appeals process, which ended when the Supreme Court rejected his final petition in spring 2023.

Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, noted that Hasan could still delay the execution by filing a federal court appeal challenging the legality of his detention, stressing that presidential approval does not guarantee the execution will proceed as scheduled.